Seed the chilies and cut them up with scissors. Place them in abowl, cover with warm water, and soak them until they turn quitesoft, 15 minutes to 1 hour. Drain them and squeeze out the excesswater. Place the chilies in a blender along with the remainingingredients. Grind to a paste. Place in a small glass jar, coverwith a thin layer of olive oil, and seal tightly. Refrigerate forup to 3 or 4 weeks.

Note : You can sometimes find small cans or tubes of harissa inspecialty markets.